You know you’re nuts when 1) you spend money you don’t have in an uncalculated way and 2) get as excited buying a domain name as you do about a new dress.
Yesterday, against the little bugetary fairy talking in my ear, I purchased a pretty and functional dress at The Grasshopper Shop. For you non-Mainers, this is the type of store that sells $150 dollar jeans, not a place a girl on a budget should go let alone purchase clothing. But everyday as I walk by the window with my powerwalking ladyfriends from work on lunch break, I gazed lovingly in the window at a Donna Morgan graphic print dress. It was too nice and way too expensive at over $100.
Two months passed and I still smiled whenever I saw the pretty, brightly colored dresses, posed perfectly in the window. But I still did not go in.
A thirty percent off sign went up before Christmas. I decided to wait it out.
A week later, fifty percent off. They had me. I emailed my boyfriend, fraught with temptation. "Get the dress" he urged in his email reply. Well, that was all I needed.
I went in, picked the dress I wanted off the rack. One left. My size. I tried it on. It draped well. I paid $40 I don’t actually have yet and walked out. The clouds parted and the sun shone brilliantly as a little bird perched on my finger and began to sing…
Ok, everything except the last sentence was true. You know, there is some satisfaction to be had for waiting for something. So Nicole’s a big nutball story part one: I get excited over a dress.
Nutball story part two: I bought a domain name today. Do you believe www.nicoleouellette.com wasn’t taken? Thank you Network Solutions and my parents who apparently gave me an uncommon name! I thought of the possibilities and even spent about an hour just now making my new domain name point to this very blog. Do I know what I did? Not exactly. Will it work? Not sure. 24-48 hours will let me know.
In both cases, notice how I recklessly spent money even though I have a tight budget. I know, I know. The key is this behavior not become habit (and the fact that I have adult ed teaching money coming in soon). But my two purchases at $140 total (my domain is good for five years) have brought such joy that I wonder if money can buy me happiness, at least a little bit.